Stop the Objectification and Sexualization of Women in the Huffington Post

We're asking you to stop the Huffington Post's routine and rampant objectification and sexualization of women. Huffington Post's salacious, SEO-friendly headlines may drive traffic and revenue, but at what cost to girls' and women's self-esteem, and with what cultural effect and impact?

When your name's on the masthead and your progressive principles and values on the record, we think you have a special responsibility. Many of your headlines are antithetical to these principals and values, to your personal brand, the HPMG brand and business, and most importantly they do not serve the women and men who make up your readership and ad-base.

Further, AOL (Huffington Post Media Group's corporate parent) defines diversity and inclusion as core values and speaks to an understanding of its responsibility to "leverage the power of the internet to improve the world." Headlines like "When a Good Dress goes VERY Sexy" and "NSFW: Former Beauty Queen Flashes Her Headlights" -- just two examples of many sexualized and objectifying examples from your front page -- don't do this; are inconsistent with your values and more fitting for a MAXIM than a news source.

You've long been a champion and example for women. You've written about how corporate greed is undermining America; and celebrated the "female force, women shaping modern history and culture". We ask you to be true to these values, your values, and that you use your platform as President and Editor-in-Chief to stop the objectification, sexualization, and stereotyping. It holds gender equality, the conversation, and women and girls back.

The power and platform are yours. Like all of popular culture, your organization influences and shapes how we feel, what we think, talk and wonder about. It - and you and the HPMG - can wield this power for good and ill, passively or actively. It's your choice, of course, but nothing speaks louder than words besides actions. We hope a look at some of your words will lead you to the right action and a change in Huffington Post's Headline practices and policy. Thank you.

Stop the Objectification and Sexualization of Women in the Huffington Post

Dear Arianna:

We're asking you to stop the Huffington Post's routine and rampant objectification and sexualization of women. Huffington Post's salacious, SEO-friendly headlines may drive traffic and revenue, but at what cost to girls' and women's self-esteem, and with what cultural effect and impact?

When your name's on the masthead and your progressive principles and values on the record, you have a special responsibility. Many of your headlines are antithetical to these, to your personal brand, the HPMG brand and business, and most importantly they do not serve the women and men who make up your readership and ad-base. Further, AOL (Huffington Post Media Group's corporate parent) defines diversity and inclusion as core values and speaks to an understanding of its responsibility to "leverage the power of the internet to improve the world." Headlines like the ones below, collected from your front page over just a few days, don't do this; are inconsistent with your values and more fitting for a MAXIM then a news source. Consider these verbatims:

You've long been a champion and example for women. You've written about how corporate greed is undermining America; and celebrated the "female force, women shaping modern history and culture". We ask you to be true to these values, your values, and that you use your platform as President and Editor-in-Chief to stop the objectification, sexualization, and stereotyping. It holds gender equality, the conversation, and women and girls back.

The power and platform are yours. Like all of popular culture, your organization influences and shapes how we feel, what we think, talk and wonder about. It - and you and the HPMG - can wield this power for good and ill, passively or actively. It's your choice, of course, but nothing speaks louder than words besides actions. We hope a look at some of your words will lead you to the right action and a change in Huffington Post's headline practices and policy. Thank you.